A worldwide shortage of nurses has prompted a Central Queensland University nursing researcher to discover methods for attracting and sustaining interest in the profession.

CQU Master of Health Science student Julie Parry said as nursing enrolments continued to drop worldwide it was vital to discover the reasons why nurses left the profession or became dissatisfied in their jobs.

“To date very little research has included those who have left the profession because it is harder to find these people to conduct the research,” she said.

“Interviewing current practicing nurses will only reveal why they are dissatisfied, whereas my studies will also include those who have moved away from nursing and chosen to work in other professions.” “I hope the studies will address recruitment and retention issues because it is predicted by 2006 there will be 31 000 unfilled nursing vacancies in Australia.” “Retirement, the decreasing enrolments in nursing courses and the ageing population is placing more stress on the nursing profession and more nurses will be required in the coming years to meet these growing demands.” Ms Parry is seeking to interview former registered nurses who have left nursing to work in other professions in the past five to ten years. For more details please telephone 0749 407829.